Ferrie sets sights on maiden Dubai voyage

9/26/2011 1:41:46 PM

Kenneth Ferrie (Getty Images)

Following his thrilling victory at the Austrian GolfOpen presented by Lyoness, Kenneth Ferrie has set his sights on securing a place in the season-ending Dubai World Championship presented by DP World for the very first time.

The Englishman saw off his compatriot Simon Wakefield with a birdie at the first extra hole to take the €166,660 first prize, which moved him up from 99th to 55th place in The Race to Dubai.

With the top 60 contesting the 2011 Dubai World Championship over the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from December 8-11, Ferrie has given himself every chance of making his debut in the US$7.5million event.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “I haven’t won for six years and I was wondering if it was ever going to happen in the end, so to get it done was fantastic.

“It means the world to me. I have been working very hard and doing all the right things, but I just haven’t had the results to back it up. So to win under the pressure of a play-off is amazing, and it makes all the hard work worthwhile.

“The first aim this season was to win again, but now that I’ve done that the next one has to be to try to finish inside the top 60. The Dubai World Championship is obviously a huge tournament and any every player on The European Tour wants to be a part of it, so I’m no different in that respect.”

Joost Luiten virtually guaranteed his place in the season finale courtesy of his third place finish behind Ferrie at Diamond Country Club, in Austria.

The in-form Dutchman, who has now finished in the top six in his past two events, climbed to 43rd place in The Race to Dubai after taking his season’s earnings to €444,158.